A total of 40 Miami firefighters were on the scene at one point working on the fire. Fire crews had to cut power to the entire block because their rescue equipment was getting too close to the power lines in the area. The fire shutdown NW 14th Street as firefighters battled the blaze.

The flames could be seen across downtown including as far away as the AmericanAirlines Arena where the Miami Heat was playing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers.

The fierce flames ripped through the roof of the church and shattered the stained glass as the structure was reduced to ash.

But the pastor says he and his congregation are ready to rebuild and move forward.

"Trust God and The Lord will make a way, The Lord will fix it, He will work it out," James said.

Published at 6:13 PM EDT on Jun 1, 2014

News breaks at inconvenient times. Download one of the NBC6 mobile apps and have the news come to you. Watch live streaming newscasts, receive critical push notifications on the go and stay in touch with your city around the clock.